Dailey Helps The Clippers Topple Bulls

LOS ANGELES — It seemed like old times for the Bulls Wednesday. They lost, and Quintin Dailey was one of the principal reasons.

But this time it wasn`t because Dailey, who became a problem almost from the time the Bulls made him their No. 1 draft choice a few seasons ago, was taking down his own team.

Dailey finished with 18 points, and Benoit Benjamin, who wears ``00`` and long has been considered a zero, added 26, 15 in the final quarter, to lead the Clippers (5-6) to a 105-97 victory over the Bulls (6-5) before 15,352 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

``It feels good getting a win against Chicago,`` admitted Dailey, who started for the injured Reggie Williams. ``Everyone knows I had problems there, but I look at this as a new chance to play in the NBA and be in Los Angeles with a good, young team.

``And Ben sure did a great job for us down the stretch.``

Indeed he did.

Benjamin, who was averaging 23.7 points and 12.3 rebounds at home before Wednesday`s game, added 13 rebounds to his 26 points. But he was less eloquent after the game than his play. In effect, he let it speak for itself.

``I just took my shot,`` Benjamin observed. ``And it went in.``

It started early in the final quarter, Benjamin hitting a bank shot to break a 72-72 tie. After a turnaround jumper by Charles Smith and a jumper by Gary Grant, Benjamin tipped in a missed shot to conclude an eight-point run that took the game away from the Bulls.

``We had a couple of dry spells that really killed us,`` said Bulls coach Doug Collins. ``But we played a good game. The Clippers just played better.`` The Clippers took a nine-point lead with 9:31 remaining, and try as he might, Michael Jordan could not rally the Bulls on a night that saw him produce ``just`` 26 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, four blocks and five steals.

``They were running at him and doubling him, taking the ball out of his hands,`` Collins noted.

The Clippers maintained their lead until 3:34 remained. Then Jordan scored on a driving slam and a three-point field goal to cut the Los Angeles lead to 95-91 with 2:04 left.

But Benjamin hit another turnaround jumper in the lane off a pick-and-roll, and after two Jordan free throws, Dailey drove the lane, was fouled and converted two free throws to put the Clippers ahead by six with under a minute left.

``We doubled Jordan when we had to, and that was a big key to the game,`` said Clippers coach Gene Shue. ``We didn`t let him have an explosive game.``

But Bill Cartwright almost did.

The Bulls center, playing his third straight effective game, scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He dominated Benjamin inside most of the first half, when he had 14.

``The two centers neutralized each other,`` said Collins.

But some dark stretches during the early going hampered the Bulls in a game that started 30 minutes late because of electrical problems in the arena. The Bulls, after taking a seven-pooint lead in the first quarter, could not shake the Clippers, who closed the quarter traling 28-26.

Then, with Grant and reserve guard Tom Garrick driving bravely to the basket, the Clippers took an 11-point lead late in the second quarter. The Bulls then closed to trail by a point at halftime, 49-48.

``Garrick (with 6 points) and Grant really hurt us off the bench,`` said Collins. ``They pressured our guards well and threw us off.``

But the Clippers, who shot 53 percent while holding the Bulls to 45 percent, were most pleased with their effort on Jordan, even if Horace Grant also was effective inside with 17 points and 10 rebounds

``We wanted to go in and control Jordan,`` said Benjamin. `He`s the type of player than can come in and score 50 to 60 points in a game and beat you himself. Stopping Jordan is what you have to do when you play a team like Chicago.``

Which Dailey, of all people, contributed to with a harassing defensive effort, seemingly destined to haunt the Bulls.